BOY IMMIGRANTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2192, 3 July 1914, Page 4

BOY IMMIGRANTS

:; THE GOVERNMENT.SCHEME

7 REPLY TO MISREPRESENTATIONS

' ; PLAIN SPEAKING

:■> -The Hon. H. D. BELL moved .' tlie second reading of tho Master and ;: Apprentice Amendment Bill, which has ;■ as its object tho making of tho Minis- \ 'tor in-Charge ..of Immigration in loco ;. parentis to boys under '21 years of age ; who "are brought to this country as i farm'labourers. The Bill is to bind-the ; boy iii his own interests, and to givo • the Government a control over every ." boy, which will'enable the Government : i to ; perform the obligations which they ; jhad-entered into, and proposed to'en-" ;; 'ter'intos-'- • ■ • ■ -■;' In moving tho second reading, Mr. Bell replied in vigorous terms to the grayo injustice and misrepresentations dono to the Immigration Department, . of. .which lie .was the head, over their action in bringing out boys to work on the farms. Tho Government, which too'k: tho.. responsibility of bringing yoiifig boys hero, undertook, the responsibility of the parents and guardians of'those boys. There lad' been an 'organised attempt iovprpyent.th© Government/fulfilling that-'responsibility. ..It' was-discreditable to' those who, undertook it, but he was pleased.ti> say thai;' it failed. Tho question of-.. Boy.' immi-. gration was one which, was open to argument. Ho personally had no doubt abbiii; it. It was wise arid beneficial, < both jin p tho interests 'of tho boys themselves, the Old Country,; and this oountrw™ But if theroi-was differenceV-of' opinion upon- the point there was no room" for difference of opinion betweon thpsa who preceded, tho present Government and the present- Government. . There was no room for tho false statements that tho present Government had; introduced a method of boy slavThe last Government .undertook; •■' . tho'introduction in'to this'country of an'experimental,number of :50 boys. Ho would explain the difference.' between adopted by' the ;last Goy- > eminent and tho. method adopted by • liirAself. Ho did not want to-'blame'tho last!' < : Government., for, . the.'differchce,which , was to tho disadvantage ■of tlid boys.';- Tho Sectewick- plan ■ wbiclv. was adopted by the- last Goveriimoiit.-:' wai. ■ fohn'ded uponan- Imperial. , .basis",, 'and. the! -idea \vas;',to.give':-tio' , , I lad i 3,lo.t'.'Eng-; lisbyjeities of-ientering',upon' a.(c6untr,v.'-lifo-,*iri'a' new. Dominion of i the'.iiErapire:...'' (A*pplaus.e.) .^yitfo, that, hs every; sympatiiy;' different inalt'er -to. look at "it "from- the poiiit.of view of-the' . New Zealand farmer.: Both views had to.be taken into consideration,- and, as far as he'-saw, both.could go side by-sidd,'and almost band in hand. ~,..:' :.:..:T own'.u..Country Boys.. ~.,,.,.. : .*■> The "bias's of Kelp wanted by tho Now J.rZealand farmer was not necessarily, 'or ';.'Jeveu generally, tho town-bred boy.- On ■, tho end; hand ; ihe city boy was quicker /:.in Ill's-'iliibit.'of thought, but the'boy ,-"'who came- from the rural life, had a v; start of tito cfey toy, wWeU t!w city toy ■?:■ iratild find i 6 difficult to pick up. There }:xras loss risk of the-country hoy going -; wiwig, b«c:v\is& ido early part of the ■ -.' life oitit ls«o was dull to Ui« city boy. ~; Fortunately tho SO boys brought out ..'..'" in 1910 under tho. Seclgivick scheme, ■Mrero a good lot. ■ All the same, a por- '■■■■ ceiitago woiit -rvrbns.- ;He wotild not : ■■> say what tho percentage was. 'i'hero .'■was no legal control over tlieni. Most ■'-■;'lof thorn had hem successhi\, and thcro ,''.ivas no donbt that to them tho scheme .'.".had been the beginning of a new life "■and new hope. All the same, the differ-.-■'..'-ence had'been marked between the p'er.■'.conta'ge of success of ■'the' Country boy 'against tho town boy. When he touk •office.the jidministration of the Immigration : Department -was".'placed dn';'liis shoulders. He had tried to do tlio s w.ork, wifhout noticing, tho.criticism loy- ;' ■oiled against "tho Department. There ■'■■■had been a change in the Department, /and he-'.thought tlio change was towards ' .' improvement v-Thei; boy.jabour question. :; had > be.on;'ano' 6i -the p most; important: ;. attond6d\t<ij'-;He had' inaugurated -the • schemo'.'wbieh^lia^:.proved'". so , <su&cs3r -' ftil, a'hdVho'Jhoped/.to.' bring' inany 'boy 3 : to a new'lifCj.aiHl.toibo'.an aid to tho ■ farmers. ■*■■■'■'■■■ • ■■- ■ ■ . ■ I Liberal.Press'Hov;l. When the scheme wae tried first "fhefe was a howl throughout tlio Liberal Frees - that he was bringiiig the' boys here to a system of slavery. A number of ; members.-of; tho Federation of, Labour did a discreditable action in ; trying'to ■ pcrsua'clo' j the boys to leave tho Ayr- .'. shiro by telling them that they were under no legal agreement. He went to moot tho ■ boys on the Ayrshire, and • they woro.-fine little chaps. Tho Hon. Mr. Paul: 6ft. 3in. Mr. Bell said that some of the boys ; with tho Sedgwick group were as big as tho country boys. The attempt mado ly tbe Federation of Labour members was not successful, because ho explained to the boys the full position. He was pleased to say only three of them , were not with tho farnjors -to-day. He felt his responsibility to those boys, find deprecated the attempt made to lead tho boys away. A small attempt was inn do to divert tlie Suffolk boys, and still the Liberal Press howl went : up that he was importing boys to slavery.' Ho mado up his mind that ho would not bring other boys out till Parliament gavo him power of «hip over the boys. Ho cabled to London, and stopped a shipment-. He now asked the Government to givo him control under tho Bill. Question of Boy Slavery. ':' Now' he came to tho question of lioy ' slavorjv It struck him when lie brgan to formulate a r plan of bringing country boys, that the conditions l under which the earlier boys camo out wero eomewhab stringent. The Bedgwick

hoys.were bound for three or four years, at a beginning wage, of os. per week, and. proceeded by quarterly increases of 25.. Cd. It was a stereotyped wage, irrespective of tho ago or size of the boy. That struck, him as being a little har'd;;» Them was tho further fact that they" Had. to pay back the wholo of tho .advances made to them, including passage; .money. His agreement wifh the .Ayrshire boys and tho Suffolk boys, signed ' before there was tho . shout that. they were . being. tied down to ...boy slavery, was very clear. The New Zealand Government paid the passage money;.and only got back the £8, which ;iv'as the amount tho farmer paid. The Government mado tho' boy a present of tho whole of, tho charges incurred, and did'not ask the boy to refund one .shilling. ■■.-■' "In reply, to 'a question, Mr. Bell said that the amount of passago money was £19. The shipping companies provided n, rebate of £4 10s., and the farmer paid £8 .to the Government, and the Government paid .the balance, as in tlio casoof the ordinary immigrant. .In consideration of his having been granted a -reduced rate of passage, £8, tho hoy entered into an agreement to work for not less than one year,, at a wage of not less than 7s. 6d. per week. 'In the event of his failing to fulfil tho agreement, , he was to pay tho ordinary rates of passage. , Nothing Corrupt or Unfair. Ho would ask the honourable members who represented Labour in the Council if' they had anything to chnl-lc-ngo in. this. They coidd challenge boy immigration- if they liked, but thoro was nothing unfair in tho agreement. It was of little importance that misrepresentation had been levelled against the Government, but he would asE why should a Minister, who was doing something'right and good, be'supposed to bp doing something corrupt of" unfair. Hβ now wanted legislation which would enable him to protect those- boys, and -enable him to continuo the policy which he had undertaken. It had been supposed that tho boys imported under the present, Government's schemo differed •in age .or weight to those of ; .the first .fifty. ' Tho Labour Department, in managing the first importation, wero met with difficulties'in that tho boys wero older find bigger in stature than was expected, and generally an .agreement was come to with regard to-, wages. There was the difficulty, however, that tho bays were , hound, to take.;ss. per 'week,lAirheroas'vthe" boys wli<SS,j{gino out under the present Government'were not hound, Tli3 Secretary of Labour had reported ".gainst the Government having no control over the Sedgwick boys. Ho found himself faced with tho same* difficulty with regard to the :.country boys, although only three hoys wero .caused to.break their agreement. ' A Swindle Encouraged. Tho whole thing was a swindle on their part, and thoy .had been encouraged .in -it by those people who were attempting to'cast an obstruction in the way of the Administration. \ He had had a. return prepared of tho wages tho ;boys', \vero 'receiving now. They came ; out less .than six months ago. Of the' Ayrshire shipment two were now receiving 265. per' Week; live receiving '20s: ;"two, 18s.; ithirte'en, los.; two, 12s. 6d.; three, 125.;. seven, 10s.;" one, Bs. ■6.d: 7s; 6d.,.. Of .Suffolk jbdyeiohe was now receiving 255. ;■ two, 225; M.; t\vo,-20s.j'one, 18s.';'two, 17s. Cd.; fifteen, los.; one, Us. ';'.. eight, 12s. 6d.; one, 125.; oi.ie, lls.-; ten, 10s. ; and six, 7s. 6d. He had letters from the farmers' and the boys which'showed great contentment. Ho had had the most pleasant experience with iho boys. ■Tho'yi'.SVere writing Home arid advertising the country.' He had had letters of appreciation from the Kent !County Association, liad assisted in gatlle'ring tho boys, saying t'Hey were delig|i£cd with the scheme. Fie was satisfied tho Government had done well by th~6 toys, and iho more they did of work tlio hotter. They were gettifrg the' reward in tlio fact ..tiiat the i>o.ysjffcro growing up a credit io,t3icmsdyefr awl io i\w soMntvy; ,'.', Ho ythb sorrj? olie ilo.V Itad (lied, Alii' one was sent'back, having broken down in health, ilo had taken a.<fatherly interest iifiilifi boys, and wanted "to'continue to do-so. ... ' v -. !.' .

'Sir William Hall-Jones: "Will,'jpu toll mc.SiW. immbor oi failures Amongst tlie Sedfjpck boys? Mr.-'Bell: I would rather not.-, The nii'mßer of successes was thirty-seven out. of fifty. Of tlie remaining thirteen I-will not say they were all failures. You can tako it they have not all gone to the bad, but sonio of them have. Government's Snlsndid Idea. Tho Hon. C. H. Mills thought that the Hon. Mr. Bell had done ji- great public good by giving.the information he had.. It was a splendid idea to assist young boys who had no prospects in their own: country. Ho was pleased .to see .any system that would encouragethe immigration of boys. It was right that- there, should bo some reasonable constraint. Ho was shocked that tho representatives of the Federation, of Labour should have attempted to got those boys to break their word. - Ho commended the Bill as a mcasuro which was needed. The Hon. J. Barr said that the Federation of Labour directed a section of labour; a small and unfortunate section. He had failed to see sufficient cause for the indignation expressed by the honourable member. Ho had read Liberal, Conservative, and Labour papers.' He had also read the "Maoriland Worker," "a most useless rag," and it was unfortunate that 'it was published under tho name, of Labour. Ho would never givo any weight to anything published in it. Mr. Boll: 1 never road it. Mr. Ban - : I am glad to hoar that. I thought perhaps something in it had boon brought under your notice. Continuing, Mr. Barr said bo was in favour of bringing boys out, .so long as there was no Hooding of the market. He thought that tho Bill should make provision " for -enabling boys in this country who wanted to do so to got on tho land. At present there was the doubt that thero were many boys in this country desirous of going on the land, but wiio did not have the opportunity afforded to boys of the Old Country. The wisdom of assisting boys from Homo under those circumstances was .questioned. .Th-ere was a growing desire among city lads to go upon tlie, land. Ko long as that foHmg existed tho Government should do its utmost to cncouragn it. Air. lieli: Honr, hour. Mr. Barr spoko on the necessity nf restriction of the number of apprentices in any trade. He would like to

know whether a farmer desiring two or three boys ;.was going to bo supplied. IP he was, then immediately tho siis-' pioion arose that boys wore going to be employed and men excluded. Ho desired that the measure should be extended, and made to apply, not only to those without tho country, but to thoso within tho country. The Hon. J. Paul joined with other members in Loping that the Hill would be sent to the Labour Bills Committee. The present Bill should have covered tho whole question of apprentices. That question could bo well considered by' the Labour Bills Committee

Mr. Bell: I will send it if'you aro prepared not to open tho wholo question of amendment of the Maetor and Apprentices Bill. This is urgent. Mr. Paul: Then- if it is urgent I am prepared to assist tho Minister. Ho thought that the lion, member had taken too much notice of the criticisms levelled against the importation of the rboys. It was only a small 'Labour section . which tried to got. tho boys to break their bonds. He Ijioped the whole question of immigration would be considered by tho Government. Tho Hon. G. Jones commended the Minister in Charge of the Immigration Department on liis statement. There was nothing in the Bill or the scheme to take exception to. The Hon. Sir Wm. Hall-Jones said that of the thirteen Sedgwick boys mentioned by Mr. Bell, quite half would be found to'havo come up to. tho standard of the average hoy. Ho was in favour of the Government bringing out farm boys, in placo of city boys. ' The Hon. AV. C. F. Carrtcross said that it was a fact that in this Dominion there was an.aversion to country life, and it was necessary for the Government to pursue tho policy they nad inaugurated of briugirtg out farm boys. The debate was adjourned , at' 5 p.m. till 2.30 n'.va. to-day. "'■ '"'